What Once Was Lost Re-worked
by Jonathan Anubian
Summary: During the war on Cybertron a Refugee ship, one of the last to leave the planet, was attacked by the Decepticons. Wandering through space, their long range beacon damaged, the pods floated aimlessly through the void until eventually falling on earth in the 21st century. This is an OC-centric story line set on Earth with details taken from G-1 and Bay verse.
1. Prologue

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

_'Bonded Thought'_

::Comm::br /

[...]- POV Break

Alarm sirens blared overhead, the sound instilling fear and panic in all who heard it. The hall rocked violently again, almost sending the two trembling femmes to the metallic floor. When the rumbling finally stopped the white and blue femme pushed herself away from the wall, where she'd half collapsed in an attempt to keep on her feet. Helping the smaller cybertronian to stand the larger of the two looked down at her, green optics filled with fear. Urging the pale robin's egg colored femme along the corridor her spark pulsed erratically. The sound of gunfire and explosions echoed down the long halls. More than once they had to make a quick detour as the fighting intensified.

"We have to hurry." Keeping a hand on the smaller, trembling, femme she gently pushed her sister toward the only area she knew was still safe. Over the comms she could hear the chatter between members of the crew as they fought to protect the ship or flee from the enemy. A sudden yell from behind made them freeze, terrified, as two mechs turned the corner, guns at the ready. Wrapping herself around her sister she waited for the scorching burn of pain, but none came. Either luck or providence saved them once again as the floor above them buckled from the damage it had sustained and caved in on the mechs, hopefully putting them down for good.

"Siren..." Terrified violet optics widened at the destruction behind them. Smiling as reassuringly as she could the white and blue femme tugged her forward, despite the fear that shook her own frame.

"It's going to be okay. Come on, we're nearly there." It was on by sheer force of will, the training of their father, and the need to protect her only remaining family that allowed Siren to get her sister to safety. Hustling her sister into the pod bay she looked down the halls before using her personal crew code and locked the door behind them. Going to the first pod she opened the hatch and helped her sister inside. The poor femme was shaking so badly she was rattling. Inputting a few last commands and checking that everything was still in working order Siren climbed inside and shut the hatch behind her. The seal locked as she made her way to the bench where her sister sat, curled in on herself.

They were lucky that the pod was so large, meant to fit more of their species than the two of them. She knew she should have waited for more evacuees but she was afraid. Afraid that the boarders would find them and drag them out into the ship before killing them. Sitting on the bench she received a coded message on the crew channel and quickly opened it. Reading it through she relaxed slightly. The bridge crew was all alive and well, currently trying to repel the invaders with their own personal security force. The signal to evacuate had been tripped and there were groups headed to the other escape pods already. Leaning back she reached for her younger sister and carefully pulled her closer. "We're going to be okay." Wrapping her arms around her protectively, shielding her with her larger body, Siren gave her a sad smile.

Nodding the smaller femme leaned back into her chest, taking comfort from her elder sister even as tears streamed down her face. Melody was a kind spark. Seeing so many cybertronians killed had affected her poorly. Siren mumbled reassurances, brushing one hand over her sister's helm to soothe her as much as she could. Melody looked up at her and gave her a shaky smile before letting her head fall to her chest.

There was a ping and Siren stared at the door, body stiff. The ping turned into a series of codes and she relaxed. One of the other crew members must have arrived and unlocked the door. Their pod registered the others and activated the start-up protocols. Siren felt relieved she hadn't had to use the over-ride program she'd been given to eject the single pod from the ship. Without a proper beacon they would be lost, if they weren't snatched up by the Decepticons first.

"Don't be scared Melody, I'm here. I'll protect you." Hearing the smaller femme begin humming to herself Siren rocked them back and forth, taking comfort in the sound of the music and the closeness, just as her sister did.

Once the crew shuttle began the launch sequence the two femmes could feel the stasis programming swamp their sensors. Optics slowly dimmed, energon slowed in their lines, and their bodies locked into place. All to preserve their sparks for the journey ahead.

It would be a long time before they would see anything but the vastness of space.

[…]

Getting a stream of real time feedback from the communications officers on the bridge the young mech knew they were in a heap of trouble. Not just the regular kind either, as the situation evolved from a skirmish to a full blown take over. Putting out fires and trying to repel the invaders wasn't going to help matters now. It was too late for that. The Decepticons battle ship was more than a match for the simple cargo transport filled with civilians fleeing Cybertron. Flicking through the comm channels as quickly as he could process he listened to the growing reports of engine failures and curses as parts of the ship were cut off or sealed due to loss of pressure.

_'I could use some good news!'_ Heading back towards the command deck he dodged past a few cowering refugees, busted plating, and more fires that were either being extinguished by civilians or other crew members. A tug on his very spark stopped him short as he shifted his attention inward, away from all the distractions. _'Tough, because I have none. The order to evacuate has been given. The Captain ordered us to lead as many civilians as we can to the escape pods and take the command one for ourselves. He… he said it's his last order as Captain.'_ His spark stuttered in distress as he keened miserably in denial.

_'Don't fight orders, Link. I'll start my retreat now. Meet you on the way.'_ Passing the raw feelings of loss, despair, and misery along their shared bond he felt the same emotions echo back and shuddered, knowing they both felt the same about their current situation. The emotions dimmed as his other half turned his attention elsewhere and Link tried to calm himself, letting out a sigh of anguish. Standing with his back straight the white, black, and gold mech took a moment to steel himself before turning back the way he'd come. Finding the refugees he'd passed he looked them over and frowned. Most of them were absolutely terrified, unable to process what was happening, and some were too injured to move on their own. It was going to be difficult to get them all moving again.

Stepping forward he squared his shoulders, trying to make himself seem older than he really was. "Alright, on your feet! You're not dead yet, you still have a chance! I am Communications Officer Link and I will try my utmost to lead you to safety!" Yelling loudly down the corridor he was relieved when the refugees turned to him and slowly got to their feet. A look of hope crept into their expressions and he wanted to cringe away from it, feeling wholly inadequate to defend them if they were attacked. Calm and love filtered through the twin-bond and he felt himself relax minutely. He had to project a calm and confident demeanor, even if he was just as frightened as they were.

Walking over to a mech that didn't look able to stand on his own he reached down and helped him to his feet, slinging an arm over his shoulder and giving him a smile he hoped was reassuring. Before he could lead the mech down the hall two others came forward and gently took the wounded one from him. "Y-you'll need to be able to move unhindered if you're to lead us…" Nodding grimly at the mech who'd spoken he walked past the refugees, who parted before him. Stopping at the next junction he pressed himself against the wall and leaned out slightly to make sure the way was safe. Waving them along he switched through channels on his headset, listening for any trouble ahead.

It was a slow process as they moved through the ship, gathering more refugees and civilians as they went. The strongest mechs and femmes were sent to the back and the middle of the group, to guard against surprise attacks. At times Link would open a door, expecting a clear route, only to find a desperate and ongoing battle between security personnel and Decepticons. Sealing the doors he abandoned the security forces to their fate, their sacrifice weighing heavily on his spark. The feed from the crew gradually became less and less over time. It left him feeling blind.

Looking back at those following him his optics landed on the smallest forms, huddled together or held tightly in the arms of their caretakers. Gathering his resolve he hardened himself, feeling encouragement from his other half as he went.

Just as they reached the area of the ship where the escape pods were located he felt a ripple in his spark that made him feel whole. Turning to a locked door he input the codes to open it from his side and relaxed as he spotted his black, white, and gold counterpart._ 'The Captain wants to speak with us as soon as we get the refugees settled.'_ Nodding toward his brother in acknowledgment he turned back to his group and got them organized. Sparklings and their caretakers were the first into the pods, with one or two of the stronger cybertronians offering to go along to defend them just in case.

Once everyone was situated and the start-up protocols were engaged they stepped inside the command shuttle and took their seats. Feeling a little safer they linked their comms and pinged the captain. ::Link, Cipher; my sons. I want you to take care of these people. They didn't ask for this Smelter cursed war and neither did you. I am staying with the ship to give you as much time as I can to escape.:: The twins keened in denial, the sound bleeding together.

::Creator-Caretaker! It's suicide to stay on the ship. Please, we still need your guidance!:: Cipher sent back, pleading with the older mech to not leave them behind. Hearing a ragged chuckle from the comm Link looked down at his feet, hands clenched. Neither of them wanted to accept their creator's decision. They'd already lost one parent, they didn't want to lose the other.

::Keep safe, and Primus watch over you. You have always made me proud.:: With those parting words the comm went dead, blocked from the other end by the mech that loved and raised them. The only one who understood that they were not two separate beings but one being in two frames. Feelings of hurt, loss, pain, guilt, anger, and sadness passed between them as they clung to each other. Compassion, comfort, reassurance, and understanding echoed back and forth, trying to stop the raw negative emotions in their shared spark.

Reaching a shaking hand toward the control panel of the shuttle Cipher input the code to release all the pods from their docks and launch into space. Each escape pod was keyed to the shuttle, which housed the only long range SOS transmitter, and would follow it closely.

Feeling the emotional drain on their systems the shuttle's programming initiated the stasis mode to keep the twins from using up too much energon. Completely oblivious to what was happening outside they floated through the cosmos, the only sound coming from the transmitter.

During their entire journey through the void only one major incident occurred. A wandering cluster of asteroids collided with the group of escapees. One particularly large chunk slammed into the command shuttle, knocking out the transmitter. Silent and unaware they wandered the darkness, forgotten.

[Autobots]

Watching the monitors and sensors carefully the mech on duty almost jumped as an alert suddenly went off next to him. Switching to the long range sensors he stared at the data in confusion. It looked as though a group of asteroids was hurtling towards earth, coming out of nowhere. Crunching the numbers he waved over the other mech on duty and they had a small argument over the uniform size of the 'asteroids' before concluding that they were probably space craft. Their hypothesis was proved correct as the closest of them seemed to change direction and head straight for the earth. The estimated time of arrival was a couple of cycles, about two and a half Earth hours.

While the second mech on duty was calculating the trajectories he hailed the commanders. There was a curt acknowledgment that had him wincing slightly but this was not something that could be ignored. ::I'm sorry to disturb your meeting, but I think you had better come take a look at this.::

[Decepticons]

Blinking dispassionately at the screens before him the mech followed the small space craft as they entered the planet's atmosphere. It was patently obvious that they were not made by the inhabitants of the planet as their signal and make were clearly cybertronian. Making a few quick calculations he commed their leader directly.

::Lord Megatron, there are multiple crafts of cybertronian make heading toward the surface of the planet. It will be approximately two cycles before they touch down. Query; what are your orders?:: While waiting for a response he followed the two small ships closely.

::I will arrange for teams to be sent out on retrieval missions. Continue monitoring the situation, inform me of any changes immediately.:: The reply he received was cold, calculating, but excited; nothing out of the ordinary from their tyrannical leader.

::Affirmative.::


	2. Welcome to Earth

Standing in the communications room, looking contemplative, Optimus Prime looked over the information on the main screen. Crossing his arms loosely over his broad chassis, he waited while his second in command calmly made a few tactical calculations using his advanced battle computer. The room was quiet as the gathered cybertronians' optics flicked between the screen and Prowl's unmoving form. Turning toward their prime, the white and black mech nodded to show he was ready. "There is a ninety-three percent possibility that the decepticons have also discovered the space crafts and will be sending out their own search parties to try and retrieve them. If we are to act, it must be quickly." He spoke in even tones, his words precise.

Glancing down at Prowl, Optimus nodded. As a leader in an ages long war he had learned long ago to trust the advice of those under his command. They were all highly capable, loyal, and wanted peace for their species as much as he did.

"Who do you suggest we send?" Looking mildly thoughtful Prowl turned his optics to a wall. It looked as though he was debating something internally. A moment later his optics came online. "We will need two parties. A short range extraction team and a long range team. I suggest you take Ironhide for back-up, Bluestreak for cover, and Hound for tracking, with you to the nearest crash site." From the concerned look in Optimus' eyes the former enforcer knew their leader would not be staying on the Ark, and it would be a waste of time to try and convince him to stay. "As for the other team." He turned his blue optics toward the third in command. "Jazz, as team lead, Mirage as scout, with Cliffjumper, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe for back-up. The second crash site will be far more likely to see heavy combat." Taking in Prowl's words Optimus nodded to him and turned to radio the two teams and have them gather in one of the hangars for their missions. There wouldn't be much time before the decepticons caught on to what was happening and sent out their own troops. Megatron might be a megalomaniac but he was still an intelligent and dangerous foe.

"Is there a possibility these pods're a trap?" Jazz asked, turning to give Prowl a pointed stare. Their optics met and for a moment neither moved. Prowl finally shook his head. "I don't see how they could orchestrate such a thing. The signal being used is that of a civilian vessel, which hasn't been seen in a millennia. There is an eight-point-three percent chance that this is a trap. But it is highly unlikely." Keeping an audio on his two commanders Optimus smiled beneath his mask. In their own way both of them were doing their best to ensure the safety of those under their command.

"Even if there is a slim possibility this is a trap we cannot back down. There might very well be innocent civilians at stake, cybertronians who will need our help." His deep rumbling voice filled the room, decisive in tone. The discussion between his second and third stopped. Prowl nodding and Jazz tilting his helm to watch their Prime.

"Then I also suggest we alert Chief Medical Officer Ratchet. Whoever is inside might be injured, and there is a high probability that the retrieval team will also need medical assistance." Optimus left Prowl in charge of the command deck, and of alerting the terse and crotchety medic.

Down in the hangar a group of mechs milled about, checking weapons and teasing each other playfully. As Optimus entered the room, Jazz close on his heels, the chatter died down. "So what is it now, Boss bot?" Asked Sideswipe, standing next to his twin behind Ironhide. The weapons specialist turned to glare at them, willing them to behave. Over the years they had become less manic but they could still be a handful. Now they were learning bad habits from the humans. When Sideswipe grinned at him and Sunstreaker scowled, Ironhide turned more of his body towards them, opening his mouth to chastise the twins. Optimus cleared his throat and brought everyone's attention back to him.

Optimus gave the twins a stern look and they shifted, looking contrite.

"We have no time for games. A civilian vessel launched their escape pods, which have somehow found their way to earth. The first of these is due to make planet fall in just under two cycles." His deep blue optics moved from one mech to another, deadly serious. "I don't think I have to explain why we must be the ones to get there first." Looking each of them in the optics he could tell that they knew the consequences, expressions hardening at the very thought of civilians in the hands of the decepticons. Optimus felt a twinge in his spark that always accompanied such a briefing. He cursed the mega-annums long war that had turned everyday mechs into veteran warriors with energon on their hands.

"Ironhide, Bluestreak, and Hound; you're with me." Jazz stepped up next to him and nodded at the remaining mechs, motioning them to follow. Optimus did not envy him his mission, it was by far the more dangerous of the two.

"Autobots; roll out!"

[Optimus]

A fair distance from the crash site Bluestreak found cover and hid with his rifle, scope trained on the cybertronian shuttle and the surrounding area. There didn't seem to be anything for miles so he gave Prime the go ahead. Optimus patted his shoulder once in a sign of trust and made his way toward the shuttle with the rest of the team. They were still wary of an ambush but decepticons weren't known for their patience. If it was a trap then it wouldn't take long to spring it.

The shuttle itself was a simple thing, not made for extended travel but strong enough to survive in space so long as it didn't come into contact with anything destructive. From its size, it looked to be able to hold a fairly large amount of mid-sized cybertronians. On the side paneling it was labeled as the Crew Shuttle of the Valixar. If it was true then inside should be a crew of civilians.

"Aren't shuttles like this supposed to power on and open automatically once they find a suitable place to land?" Asked Hound, looking concerned. Optimus' own concern grew at those words. The outside of the shuttle was banged up pretty badly, dents and scratches covering it more than the paint. It was impossible to tell what kind of ship it had come from, at least from the outside.

"We'll have to open it manually. Ironhide, I'll need your help. Hound, see if you can find an emergency panel. There should be one on the outside in case of a malfunction." Stepping closer to the door of the ship, Optimus sub-spaced his weapon and grabbed onto the edge of the door. Ironhide gripped the other side and they began to pull as hard as they could. A low grinding sound met all of their audios but the door did not budge.

Finding the panel he had been searching for, Hound detached it from the shuttle and leaned closer to get a good look. Hooking into the system, he frowned at the numbers. The shuttle should have been in working order, there was certainly enough energon to open the doors. But something had damaged some of the systems, which was causing the shuttle to believe it was still in flight. Shutting down the flight programs he activated the emergency release. With a groan and a sharp grinding sound, the two larger mechs were finally able to wrench the doors open and look inside. Hound copied as much information as he could from the shuttle's memory banks before rejoining the others.

Staring into the darkened shuttle, Optimus frowned. The lights should have come on automatically. "Ironhide, keep watch." The black and red mech grunted before turning his back, trusting his prime to keep himself out of trouble.

"The shuttle's computer informed me that those inside have been in stasis for, Primus, megavorns! I'm surprised it still has any fuel left." Optimus heard Hound speak just outside the door and frowned. "What about life signs?" He called back, checking each of the small rooms for any signs of the inhabitants. "The computer is glitched. It can't decide if there is one life sign or two. But it's there." Hound sent Optimus the file and he reviewed it quickly. The faint life force was just ahead. Striding to the back of the shuttle he opened the door and was relieved to see two cybertronians. They were huddled together and clinging to one another, like their lives depended on it. Examining them carefully he was surprised at how new and undamaged their frames were. Their faces were young and bodies small, which supported the idea that they were civilian crewmechs.

One of the two made a crackling sound as they began to stir, the sound of vocal processors coming to life. The stasis program had released them when the door to the shuttle had opened and they were slowly coming back online. They were slow and stiff, the kind of stiffness that a mech would exhibit after years of being in a coma. Amber optics came to life suddenly, the primarily white mech disentangling himself from the primarily black one so he could stand up. Reaching out, Optimus put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "Easy there, you've been in stasis." The young mech peered at him in confusion. It was clear he did not yet recognize Optimus, and for that he was grateful. He did not want to cause them any undue stress. After a couple kliks, the young mech finally got his feet properly beneath him, though he still looked a little unstable. Eventually the amber optics brightened and focused squarely on Optimus. Fear crossed his face, body stiffening for a moment before his optics found the autobot insignia and he began to relax. Clearly these civilians were aware of the decepticon threat.

"Wh-where are we?" Asked the white mech in the old cybertronian language. While Optimus thought of a way to answer, the young mech reached up to fiddle with an advanced communications receiver attached to his helm. Clicking through channels at a surprisingly fast rate. Both mechs lacked the thick armor plating most of the autobots had taken to wearing long ago.

"You are on a small planet called Earth in the Sol system, what the sentient species call the Milky Way galaxy." Although he nodded along with his words, Optimus was sure the young mech hadn't understood a word of what he'd said. His systems were still rebooting and the two of them had to be low on energon. The leader of the autobot faction was about to ask the young mech under his hand if he'd like to sit down when he suddenly whipped around, optics wide and worried. "Cipher!" He suddenly yelped, wrenching away from Optimus and trying to wake the seated mech.

Watching the two of them he could sense the distress in the white mech's voice and a familiar feeling fluttered through his spark. It was the same kind of feeling he had around Sunstreaker or Sideswipe when one of the twins was injured in battle. Could they be…?

"L-lih-nck?" Sagging with relief the white mech sat down, looking over the black one carefully to see if he was undamaged. A quiet moment passed between them and Optimus realized they were communicating with each other on a personal level. The black mech seemed to be having trouble with his processor, making the large mech feel concerned for his well being.

"Wh-what?" B-wait…" The white mech turned to look up at him so fast Optimus swore he heard something creak. "You're the Prime?" He asked, awe in every line of his body. Optimus chuckled, feeling nostalgic. He had forgotten what it was like to have those in his presence sound awed and humbled just by being near him.

Beside him the mostly black mech sighed, looking mildly annoyed. Two sets of amber eyes locked on one another, the white mech pouting.

Clearing his throat he looked down at the two, a small smile crossing his lips. "I am Optimus Prime," he stated politely, "and you two are…?" Hoping to keep the conversation casual and polite he tried to cut them off before they began to argue. Ironhide asked if he was okay and he sent back an affirmative. No doubt they were getting antsy out there.

The two of them looked at one another for a moment longer before the white one spoke again. "I'm Link. This is my twin, Cipher." Optimus smiled at them and received two very different smiles in return. Link's was open and friendly, while Cipher's was polite and guarded.

Becoming serious, he looked the two over carefully. "Can you walk without assistance? This area is not safe and, although I do not wish to alarm you, we are still at war." Seeing their eyes dim with fright at the news he cursed internally. He hated the war and what it was doing to his people.

"I can help Cipher." Said Link, looking determined. Optimus felt some concern for the black mech. "Our base is quite far, are you sure you don't need assistance?" He asked softly. The twins looked at each other but Cipher shook his head. "I will lean on Link for now. I am sure that my systems will finish rebooting soon and I will be able to walk on my own." Speaking plainly, his voice a lot more mellow than his twin's, the black mech leaned against his brother and nodded toward Optimus.

Exiting the shuttle with the two behind him he nodded to Ironhide and Hound. "We're heading back to base."

::Ratchet, your're about to have company. I have two young mechs who have been in stasis for far too long. They will need your assistance.:: A string of curses and an affirmative was all he got in reply.

"Look on the bright side, Cipher. Anywhere is better than that creepy, dark, empty shuttle." Cipher frowned at the ground, leaning heavily on his twin as his energy field flared with emotion. "This shuttle saved our lives. It should have held more of us…" Cipher stated tersely, making his twin frown as pain flashed across his features.

"Come, we can discuss what you wish to do now once we get back to base." Optimus' voice was gentle, understanding that they must have been through a traumatic experience and were still trying to cope with the pain. Who knew what had happened to these two just before they fell into stasis?

[Soundwave]

Gun in hand the communications officer of the decepticon army stared out into the rocky terrain. Off to his left was Starscream, the self proclaimed Air Commander and Megatron's second in command. Ever wary of the flyer's schemes and constant betrayal he made sure to never fully turn his back on the screechy mech. Behind him the Constructicons bickered as they tried to drag the small vessel out of the crater it had made when it crashed to the planet's surface. The markings on the side made it easy to identify as a civilian escape vessel and after a quick scan they realized there were two life signs inside. Excitement and curiosity filled the air and the dark blue mech had to enforce calm on his symbiotes as they became rowdy from all the emotional energy in the air.

"Hurry it up, you slagger!" Growled Bonecrusher to Hook, their voices carrying over to him even from a fair distance away. A sense of alertness entered his mind and he turned his attention away from the arguing to the bond he shared with his symbiotes. _'Report.'_

_'They're here, do you want me to distract them Master?'_ Soundwave looked toward the Constructicons to see how close they were to completing their mission. It appeared that they were having some trouble with something organic, native to the planet no doubt. ::The Autobots will soon engage. Query; what are your orders?:: Lord Megatron didn't respond, though he knew that his message had been received. A klik later he felt anger and indignation radiate from the decepticons 2ic as he jumped into the air and transformed.

_'Negative. Stay hidden and report enemy movements.'_ He felt the affirmative response and went back to scanning the landscape, knowing his orders would be followed to the character. Starscream's team followed him a moment later, speeding off to deal with the autobot menace.

"Fraggin' finally!" Scrapper snapped, his voice loud in the near quiet of the practically barren land. The gestalt team hauled the escape pod out of the crater with the sound of screeching metal playing accompaniment to their curses. When it was finally secured the Constructicons quickly retreated back to the Nemesis. Soundwave recalled his symbiotes in the field and took up the rear guard to ensure they were not attacked from behind. Although he highly doubted he would be needed, seeing as the Seekers had them pinned down and unable to move.

[Jazz]

"Pit! I can't get a good shot in!" Cliffjumper growled at his CO over the comms as the twins wrestled the Seekers in the air, trying to bring them down. Jazz was having a similar problem. With the twins latched onto the decepticons backs he wouldn't dare try blasting them out of the sky. Even Cliffjumper wasn't that crazy, no matter how rash he was. His sensors picked up a familiar signature and he glanced at a spot off to his right. A moment later it was occupied by a blue and white mech with a striking design. Before Jazz could even ask the mech was shaking his head sadly.

"I was able to come upon them unnoticed, but they had already procured the vessel. Their numbers far outweigh our own, with the inclusion of the Constructicons and Soundwave. I dared not allow my presence to be detected." Jazz mumbled a curse under his breath. "We need ta retreat." He said, face grim.

Cliffjumper glared at the decepticon trine as they finally disengaged, flinging off their attackers and shooting off into the sky where they couldn't be reached before turning back toward the Nemesis. The three of them felt the weight of their failure as they transformed.

From behind him Jazz could hear Mirage as he sighed. "Primus have mercy upon their sparks."

[Siren]

The first thing she was aware of as her systems finished their initial wake-up protocols was the half limp form in her arms. Then she was suddenly being grabbed and forcefully dragged out of the escape pod. Menacing growling and crude comments assaulted her audials as large forms milled about the edges of the room, boxing her in. All of her instincts cried out that this was the worst possible scenario. Her limbs protested as she forced herself to clutch the small form to her chassis, protecting her from whoever or whatever meant them harm. Losing balance when she was pulled on once more she crashed to the ground, curling around the smaller form in her arms instinctively. The metal room was cold and dark, unlike any place she'd ever been before. When her optics finally began to focus, and she was able to look around, she dearly wished this was some kind of hallucination or illusion.

Her hopes were dashed when a hulking mech sitting on a twisted throne addressed her directly in a low and commanding tone. "Finally online, are we?" Siren began to tremble at the amusement and malice dripping from his voice in equal measure. It was good he didn't seem to expect a verbal response as she was certain she would be unable to answer due to shock and terror. Instead she just nodded her head cautiously in his direction.

"Chains." Stated a separate mech in a high pitched tone, accented by an obnoxious whine. Out of the shadows of the room a couple of scarred and rough looking mechs jumped them and ripped her sister from her arms. Straining against the hands of the mechs she reached for her sister in vain as the smaller femme fell limply to the floor where they'd dropped her. Optics slowly blinked online and the younger femme's vocal processor made a low hissing sound that turned into a groan. Shoved to her knees, overpowered by the two mechs who had a hold of her, she could only watch as her sister's wrists were shackled and attached to a long chain on the floor; just as hers were.

When the mechs let go she jumped to her feet, bristling at them as they stared down at her sister's lithe and feminine frame. "My, my, my. Look what we have here. I don't think I've seen a femme for quite some time." Smirking as his crimson optics trailed over her body, then slid over to Melody's, she couldn't help but wrench at the chains. Standing from the throne the large mech towered over her as he stepped toward them. Behind him two mechs stood beside the throne, looking impatient.

As he stepped into the light her processors finally caught up and she recognized the face and voice of the mech before her. Megatron. Leader of the decepticon army, the one mech she had hoped never to lay optics on in person.

"Designation, Function, Faction, and Occupation." Stated the seeker in that whiny screeching voice. Siren glanced around the room as covertly as she could. Three mechs stood in front of her, she assumed this was the leadership. While a lot of mechs in varying sizes stood around them in a circle, watching them with interest. Every single one of them proudly displayed the decepticon faction symbol on their bodies. Siren would find no allies here. She didn't want to know what would happen to her and her sister if she disobeyed their orders.

As his red optics turned toward her sister Siren spoke up, attracting the large mech's attention. "Siren, Medical, Civilian Crewmember, and fully certified Surgeon." The mech smiled in what she might describe as surprised glee and she felt her tanks churn uncomfortably. This was a very bad situation and it could only get worse from there.

"We have need of medical personnel; you will do well here." Speaking in a pleased tone he talked to her as if she were an automaton, or a pet drone. She felt as if thousands of tiny creatures were crawling beneath her armor while he stared at her. Then his gaze turned toward the smaller, light blue, form and she felt as if her spark had stuttered in its casing. Melody was sitting up, her optics bright, and she appeared to be fully aware finally. Her expression was calm and serene but Siren could see the slight trembling in her legs and could see her sister was far too scared to stand.

When she didn't say anything his optics glared even brighter and the smaller femme shrank back slightly. "Melody, Entertainment, Civilian, Singer and P-Performer." As Megatron frowned Siren felt her insides twist further. The decepticons were a brutal army of energon-thirsty spark extinguishers. They had no need of the more refined things in life, like entertainers. Green optics flicked toward her sister before taking quick stock of the room. Most of the mechs were focusing on the small, trembling, femme, rather than the one with the thicker armor.

"We have no need of entertainers here. We-" Screeched the Seeker beside the throne, before suddenly being cut off by Megatron. "Silence, Starscream. She might be useless in our war against the Autobots, but she could be useful in other ways." The name was easily recognizable, though she had never seen him in person. She knew from descriptions and his designation that this was the famed Air Commander, who had defected to the decepticons after the fall of Vos.

As Megatron's focus intensified, looking over Melody again, Siren realized why she felt so ill. If, as they said, they had not seen a femme in quite some time then she and Melody were in the worst possible situation she could imagine, short of deactivation.

Waving his hand regally he commanded a couple of mechs standing nearby. "Take the smaller one to my chambers. I want her unharmed." From the shadows a pair of lackeys, mechs with more mass than processing power, rushed forward to do their lord's bidding. It was in the moment when he turned away from them, letting his guard down ever so slightly, that Siren struck.

Before anyone caught on to what she was doing she summoned a laser scalpel from subspace and cut the chains binding her wrists. In the stunned silence that followed the clang of metal crashing to the ground Siren threw herself forward and body checked the closest mech; sending him sprawling onto the ground. The moment the second mech tried to attack her Siren initiated an area wide medical lockdown. Rather than aiming it at any one mech she sent it out in a pulse; freezing the decepticons in place. The ones who had prepared themselves for an attack where the only ones to remain standing. The rest toppled over, unable to move a single joint.

"Don't you dare lay your energon stained hands on my sister!" She hissed, standing defensively over the smaller femme who looked up at her with awe and concern. "Sister, is it?" Her entire body shook as the large mech turned to look down at them once more, tone contemplative and mildly intrigued. Realizing that her attack had not worked on the decepticon leader she used the medical codes as they had been intended and aimed them solely at him. Megatron's expression didn't even change. Somehow her medical codes could not penetrate whatever firewalls he had. Unless he didn't have any firewalls at all and just deleted the coding entirely. It was a terrible realization to come to as a haughty smirk crossed his face.

Around the room mechs began to stir, slowly rising up from the ground spouting curses and groaning in equal measure. The medical lockdown wasn't meant to be used as a weapon but as a way to stop an injured and rampaging Cybertonian so they could be put into recharge and operated on safely. Terrified of what he would do to them now, she knew she had to talk fast if she wanted to keep them both online. Straightening her shoulders, as her father always told her to, she looked right into his optics as she gripped the scalpel even tighter. "As you can see I am not just some simple field medic that was thrown out onto the battlefield. I have all the knowledge gained from going to the best universities of Iacon. I'm not some scared civilian who will bow and scrape." Flicking her other hand another tool of her trade appeared. This time a large saw, meant to slice open tough armor so she could get to the internals within.

"If you want me to work as your surgeon then I want protection for my sister." Some of the mechs guffawed at her act of 'selfless' bravery, cajoling her for thinking she could talk back to the decepticon leader. "If you will not give me what I ask for then I will gladly end our lives here and deprive you access to medical personnel." True to her word she turned the scalpel toward her sister and the saw to her own chest, right above the spark chamber. One look at her hardened face was all it took to understand that she was not bluffing. If it came down to it Siren would be sure to kill her sister as quickly and painlessly as possible, to spare her the suffering she would endure in captivity. It didn't matter if Siren was captured afterward, she would cut off her own hands rather than help the decepticons if they forced her to kill her sister.

"You show a lot of courage, for a civilian." Megatron stated as he watched her carefully. Taking a step toward her he stopped when Siren's hands gripped the tools harder. It was clear to anyone with half a processor that she would go through with it if provoked any further.

The large mech hummed before he gave a curt nod. "Work willingly as our surgeon and I will guarantee your sister's protection." His optics burned as they bored into her own. "Work against us, sabotage our efforts, and I will make her life the living Pit before crushing her spark chamber with my own two hands. Do I make myself clear?" She stared at him for a few silent moments before hesitantly lowering her tools. She didn't know how much she could trust the rank and file decepticons but she had heard that Megatron, even while being a violent and merciless mech, never went back on his word. He considered it to be an absolute, and had always done exactly what he said he would do. Such a trait would have been commendable, if it were in a less megalomaniacal and deranged mech.

Once her tools had been subspaced, and she put her hands up in a show of surrender, a couple of mechs came forward to secure them. "Escort the smaller femme to the cells. Harm her in any way and it'll be the slag heap for you. I honor my word." Megatron barked at his soldiers as he stalked over to his throne and sat down to watch them with a bored expression. Melody kept looking up at her, pleading violet optics begging for her to stay safe, before she was lifted bodily off the floor by two grumbling minions.

Another mech grabbed her upper arm tightly and glared at her. "You'll report to the med bay immediately." Turning with her 'escort' she took a couple of steps toward the door before Megatron's voice called after her. "And remember; if you sabotage us in any way I will end you both. Her, before you." Keeping her back straight she continued to walk forward without looking back or acknowledging his words. It was her only show of defiance toward the leader of the army she had been conscripted into.

Keeping her head high as she was marched down the dank halls of the Nemesis her only thoughts were for the safety of her sister.

'Stay strong, Melody. I'll find a way to save us. Somehow...'


	3. Enemies and Allies

Amber optics glued to the large screen the black and white twins looked equal parts hopeful and worried. After a scan of the surrounding galaxy the autobots found quite a few escape pods floating toward earth. The silence was broken by the black twin, who spoke in a calm, almost emotionless, tone. "If the command beacon was still active during the entire trip through space then it is more than likely these are all from the Valixar." The white twin nodded along, fidgeting slightly. "There were eight-hundred and seventeen sparks on board the ship. The crew was made up of twenty-five members, including us." Cipher's expression became even more stiff. "Only about half of the pods were able to launch. I can only conclude that the sparks left on board were lost." Link made a low keening sound at the still raw memory of losing their mech creator. The autobots winced in sympathy.

Taking a deep vent the black mech continued to speak. "The closest pods are slightly larger than the others. It could be an emergency supplies pod or one of the smaller crew pods. The crew dossiers, footage of the ship's final moments, and a list of everyone on board would also have been ejected into space with us." The young mech didn't take his optics off of the calculations on descent patterns as he spoke. Almost as if looking at anything else would make him break down. A large hand settled on his shoulder and he finally looked away.

"It looks like we have some planning to do. We won't leave them out there alone. You have my word we will do all we can to save them." Cipher stared up at the Prime for a moment before his frame relaxed minutely. Alongside him his twin seemed to relax more visibly and he gave Optimus a hopeful smile.

It took less than an Earth hour for a plan to be formulated and decided upon. The young twins were at least fifty percent sure that the smaller of the two pods would be carrying supplies, not passengers. If they could find a way to fix the command shuttle they would be able to know for sure, since the shuttle had a sensor that recorded the life signs in every pod. For now the autobot elite decided that the larger of the two had a better chance of containing life forms and would focus their attention on it. They would send out a group of heavy hitters to defend anyone inside.

There would be no failing this time.

[Decepticons]

The fierceness of the autobots defense of the escape pod caught the decepticons by surprise. Although the assault team included most of the constructicons they were both outnumbered and outgunned. They may have been able to succeed if Hook hadn't been kept behind on the Nemesis but as things stood the decepticons were quickly pushed back. During the initial attack Scrapper was hit with a sniper round to the chest, compliments of Bluestreak. Panicking over their gestalt leader the constructicons fled the battle, leaving the other decepticons to fend for themselves. It was safe to say that they failed to retrieve the escape pod.

The second team found no resistance when retrieving the other escape pod, which was baffling. Inside they found a sizable cache of energon, medical supplies, and some makeshift shelter materials. All of which was sorely needed back on the Nemesis. Triumphant they returned to the Nemesis to show off their prize.

[Azurewing]

Waking from stasis the first instinct that overtook her was a need to look within. There at the edges of her consciousness were two sparks pulsing in time with her own. One was cold and sharp, the other bright and jovial. Feeling them next to hers kept her from panicking as her systems slowly came online. The next thing to overtake her senses was just how confined the space around her felt. Even if the escape pod would have held more of the crew she felt her wings twitch in agitation. The winged ones were never meant to be contained.

_'Windrider, Lightstrike, are you undamaged?'_ Two positive responses came to her over their bond and she sighed in relief. _'What about you, Azure?'_ The steady tone of her second in command kept her grounded as her optics finally came to life and her vocal processor started cycling. _'I'm fine.'_ She stated as evenly as possible, trying to fend off the encroaching panic she could feel at the edges of her consciousness. Now able to see she could assess the condition of the other two with her own optics and ensure they were fine.

The pod was dark and suffocating. She could feel the the sense of panic rise but clamped down on it as hard as possible, keeping the other two with her calm. It fell to her to keep a steady calmness about her, otherwise the other two would panic and possibly damage themselves. Turning her attention to the pod she frowned. It was dark. The lights hadn't come online and the door hadn't opened like it was supposed to. No wonder they all felt trapped._ 'Let's see about getting out of here. Striker; if you would?'_ Knowing the fond nickname would lighten the mood she turned to the largest member with a playful smile.

With a wide grin the yellow Cybertronian grabbed the handle of the door and pushed as hard as she could. It made a low creaking sound but didn't budge._ 'It won't move…'_ Came the forlorn cry. Azurewing clamped down even harder on their panic, almost feeling dizzy with strain. _'Then why don't you try breaking it? You're good at that Striker. Go ahead.'_ With permission given Lightstrike whooped and slammed her foot against the middle of the door as hard as she could. It didn't move. Confused she put all of her weight behind the next kick, growling in frustration when it groaned but didn't move. Windrider gave her the most unimpressed look she could muster.

_'Hit it near the handle.'_ Suggested the grey femme beside her, tone carefully neutral but expression one of annoyance. Taking the suggestion to heart Lightstrike shifted position and rammed it into the door just under the handle. The door finally gave a little but not enough to open all the way. A sliver of light filtered through but the feeling of failure pressed on Azurewing's mind._ 'We'll ram it together. It won't be able to stand up to all of us.'_ She spoke firmly and calmly, steadfast in her belief that they could escape if they worked together. Sparks calmed and a determined attitude settled over them. Privately she prayed to Primus that it would work. Because if it didn't there would be no stopping their fear from overtaking them.

_'On three. One. Two. Three!'_ With a powerful shove, and the might of three larger than average warrior femmes, the door finally caved and burst outward.

Azure would have laughed happily, had she not been falling to the ground with Lightstrike below her. Tucking and rolling onto her wings she winced as sensitive sensors scraped along the ground. It was never a pleasant maneuver. Coming up into a kneeling position with her wrist blaster primed to fire she felt ready for anything. On her left Windrider had done a similar maneuver, twin blades in her hands as she scanned the area calmly. A faint feeling of embarrassment filtered through the bond and she glanced back at Lightstrike, wanting to sigh aloud. Somehow she'd ended up on the floor, lying flat on her face. 'We're going to have to work on that.' She received a low groan in response.

Azure stared at the collection of mechs that surrounded them and felt a chill run down her frame. Their open stares made her very uncomfortable. Windrider highlighted the insignia on their frames and Azure quickly calmed. 'It looks like we're in good company… I hope.' Slowly lowering her blaster Azurewing stood, giving a curt nod to the Autobots assembled before them, her green optics steady. Though she had put away her weapon she didn't relax her defensive stance. Deep in her spark she could feel the instinct to protect the other two with her entire being as the Autobots refused to lower their own weapons.

"Windrider, help Lightstrike." She spoke aloud, so the Autobots wouldn't take the action as aggressive. Whether or not they would believe her words and leave them unmolested was a different issue. "Affirmative." Was the cool response as twin blades vanished from the grey femme's hands and she moved to help the yellow femme up off the ground.

A newcomer caught her optic as they entered the room. Azure felt a wash of emotion come over her as she looked directly into compassionate yet hard blue optics. There was no mistaking that piercing gaze. She was in the presence of a Prime. Immediately her defensive stance fell away and she gave him the proper salute for her station. "Azurewing, Security Chief of the Valixar, leader of the Atmos Trine; at your service Prime." For a moment time seemed frozen. No one dared to move. Then a speaker from the back of the group finally said what had seemingly been on everyone's mind. "A trine of Seeker Femmes?" With her back straight the only indication she had taken offense was the slight upward twitch of her wings. seekers were proud warriors and would not take disparaging remarks kindly. Especially seeker femmes who had just woken up after a harrowing escape in a suffocatingly cramped escape pod. Only to them be ogled by a hoard of unknown mechs.

"Please excuse the manner in which my mechs are acting. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots." Azurewing let herself relax and glanced back at her trine mates before giving Optimus her undivided attention.

"Are you okay Lightstrike?" Windrider asked in an even, almost monotone, voice. The yellow femme stood and stretched, happiness pouring from her now that they were no longer confined. "I'm fine~" She chirped in response, grinning at all of the mechs around them. Azurewing could feel her disappointment at the lack of other fliers but easily brushed the feeling aside.

"I understand, Prime. We are in the midst of war, I would be just as suspicious of strangers in your position." She looked around with a frown. "That being said; you have nothing to fear from me or my trine." There were scoffs of disbelief and grumbles from the gathered mechs. Keeping her eyes on Prime she could tell Windrider was watching the crowd, memorizing the faces of those who still had their guns trained on them or looked to be the most hostile to their presence. "I decided at the beginning that my trine would not become involved in a civil war. We spent our time protecting the people of Cybertron as they fled the conflict. When it showed no signs of stopping, swallowing more and more of Cybertron, we saved who we could and fled." She shook her head and looked down at her hands. So many lives lost that she had been unable to save.

She wasn't sure what happened, as she had been looking down, but she heard Prime's voice quite clearly. "Lower your weapons, these three are not our enemy." When someone commented that seekers were always the enemy her head snapped up, along with her wings. She could feel her defensive programming trying to jump into overdrive but kept herself calm. She refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing how much they'd riled her up. Acting out now would disgrace not only her trine but her home of Vos.

"You said you are the security chief of the Valixar?" Prime asked. Azurewing nodded politely. "Yes sir. They took us on when the captain saw us defending civilians during a raid." He looked contemplative for a moment. "Then you'll be pleased to hear that Link and Cipher are safe." Instantly Azurewing's whole demeanor changed. Her optics widened and a relieved smile crossed her face. "Thank Primus, they're safe." Surprised by her sudden change in mood more mechs lowered their weapons. She looked genuinely happy to hear that the young twins were okay.

"I'm sure they will be happy to know you are safe as well. Seeing familiar faces might help them settle a little more." Prime waved them over, turning to lead them into what she assumed was the Autobot base. She looked back at her trine and they all followed the Prime.

Everything would be fine. She hadn't failed. The crew hadn't lost their lives for nothing. She would protect her trine and the people of Cybertron.

[Siren]

Walking through the halls of the decepticon lair she wondered if any of them had any sense of cleanliness or subtlety whatsoever. Everything was sharp spires, dark metal, rust, and water damage from leaks no one had taken care of. Not to mention how dim it was. Almost as if they were afraid to turn on the lights. It was no wonder most of the mechs she'd seen looked worn down and half deactivated. Try as she might she couldn't help but feel that she had to help them. It was her core programming, written on her very being. Siren was a pacifist with a healer's spark. Unless her family was being threatened she would give aid to anyone who needed it and refused to fight unless she was defending herself. Before the war she had contemplated opening her own medical center, specifically for sparklings. Somehow her caretaker convinced her to go for a secondary specialty and funded her classes until she gained her surgeon's certification. When the fighting got bad she would sometimes offer to help out at local medic stations and triage locations. Until she learned the decepticons were targeting neutral medical personnel. If you were not on their side then you were an enemy. According to them, there were no innocent bystanders.

She was lucky. During one of her shifts at a medical station she overheard a mech asking if they could send a message around that a ship was searching for a new medic. With nothing to lose she inquired about the position and was told she could bring any family she had with her. As a way to entice her to join the crew no doubt. Although her caretakers had refused to leave their home they convinced Melody to go with her. Unfortunately the fighting had progressed farther than they anticipated and the ship had been caught up in the raging tide of war.

"Optics forward, you!" The mech behind her snapped, pushing her roughly. Regaining her balance she did as she was told, her hands clenching so tightly at her sides you could hear them creaking. During her musings about the past she missed a lot of the journey to the medical bay. Now it was just ahead. Entering the room she took one look at the place and felt anger build inside her. The mech behind her stopped when she did, nearly walking into her as she was rooted to the spot. "What're you-" Turning to look at him she glared venomously, her green optics filled with fury. "Out." She growled menacingly. Not about to back down from a prisoner the mech stood over her menacingly. "Now listen here I-" Suddenly he found himself being pushed bodily out of the med bay and standing outside, stunned.

"How do you expect a proper medical professional to work in such filth? Look at the sad state of affairs these tools are in. They haven't been properly cleaned or cared for in Primus knows how long! It's no wonder you all look two steps from the Well." Affronted by her tone the mech opened his mouth to speak but stopped as she stomped her foot and glared at him. "Just get out and let me do my job!" Ignoring him she turned on her heel and stalked over to a corner shelf that held cleaning rags. Muttering under her breath she began the long process of properly sterilizing and cleaning every tool in sight while simultaneously organizing everything so it was within easy reach. Once half the room was finished she looked back to see the guard standing outside the med bay, watching her warily. Every time she stormed past him he tried not to flinch or draw attention to himself. Most mechs knew not to make a femme angry but it looked as though these ones had forgotten than fact. Femmes might seem weaker but they could be just as fierce, if not more so when the situation called for it.

It took her some time but in the end the entire room was clean, sterile, and optimized for any kind of emergency surgery that could possibly crop up. Smiling to herself, proud of her work, she put her hands on her hips and looked around at her handiwork. It finally looked like a proper surgical room cross medical station. The room was surprisingly large so she'd been able to make three whole sections. Triage, surgery, and long term care.

Preoccupied with the last of the rags she was sterilizing she didn't notice the door behind her opening until a looming presence roared from behind her. "What in the Pit did you do to my engineering bay?" Stiffening in shock she could practically hear the malice in the mech's voice. Slowly she turned to look over the mech behind her. Standing as if the entire world should bow at his feet was a green, purple, and black mech with a red visor over his optics. She shouldn't have been surprised by this attitude, their leader certainly acted like the king of the universe. But the sheer vehemence in his voice was truly frightening.

Looking at the rags she was currently cleaning and the tools she had sterilized he sniffed in disdain, as if offended. Siren couldn't speak for the first few kliks, not sure what words or actions would be taken as disobedience or sabotage. Finally she found her courage and addressed the mech. "I was tasked by your Lord to work here as a surgeon. Part of my job is to ensure that the tools and medical bay are properly cleaned, organized, and ready for an emergency." It was an excuse and the truth all in one. Megatron wanted her to fix up his warriors and this was the most efficient way she could work. The snobbish mech strutted around the room, poking at things with contempt. "Listen here, you, I am the chief medical officer of this ship and I expect to be obeyed, do you understand? I want nothing but perfection." He said as he slammed his fist down on a table, denting it.

Fortunately she didn't have to respond as the mech suddenly stalled. Worried she was about to be attacked she backed away from him, keeping him in her sights as he grabbed hold of the dented table. His hands shook ever so slightly and his frame shuddered before he shot up and fled the room suddenly. The guard looked between her and the mech in confusion. Siren shook her head. She had no idea what had just transpired and didn't want anything to do with the aggressive mech whatsoever.

Turning back to her task she continued to clean the rags and set them out to dry. Once they had finished drying she folded them and set them on the shelf within easy reach. It hadn't taken her that long to do, not long at all. Then all of a sudden the doors to the med bay slammed open violently as a team of green and purple mechs dragged one of their own inside. Energon flowed from a gaping hole in his chest, armor singed and crumbling from blaster fire. Instincts kicked in and Siren hurried to help the mechs lay the patient down on the operating table as she assessed the damage.

"What happened?" She barked at them, voice stern and commanding. Glancing around at the matching mechs she saw that one of them was the self proclaimed chief medical officer. The way the group reacted to the wounded mech she assumed they were a close knit team of some kind, if not bonded in some way. Although she hadn't heard about more than two mechs bonding before, outside of a Vosnian Trine, she had the training to deal with bond mates when one was wounded. She had to calm them down quickly or things would get ugly fast. In a normal medical center they would have been held back by the orderlies and not allowed into the operating room. It was to keep their distress to a minimum and the surgeon's distractions small.

"It was a surprise attack, came out of nowhere. We were ordered to get that other escape pod but they beat us to it." As they were speaking Siren noticed a spike in energy on her sensors and peered closer into the wound, turning on her head lamps in order to see better. In horror she spied a crack along the mech's spark chamber and knew she would have to act fast. The mech from before must have heard her gasp. He tried to push her out of the way so he could see but she stood her ground. Before he could snap at her she pointed a finger in his face. "You are compromised! I need to seal this properly or we might lose him." Her medical lockdown codes didn't work properly but they were still strong enough to stop the mech for long enough. Pushing him toward the others she spoke loud enough that they could all hear her. "Keep him out of my way." She caught sight of his fellows grabbing him and hauling him away, even as all their optics stay glued to her hands.

Having an audience wasn't that unusual in her field of expertise so she wasn't worried about making a mistake while being watched. Pulling out her tools she began by stabilizing the wounded mech before slowly and carefully sealing the crack in the casing surrounding his spark. Once the energy fluctuations stopped she sighed with relief. Now that he was out of immediate danger of deactivation she could work on the gaping hole in his chest. Time seemed to almost stop and simultaneously fly forward while she worked. She couldn't remember the last time she'd performed such an important and extensive surgery.

When she was finished she stepped away from the recharging mech. He would have to remain in the med bay for a while, until she was certain the repairs were solid. For now all they could do is let him rest and get him some energon when he woke. Wiping her hands on one of the clean rags she sighed. Operations like that always made her feel tired. Turning to her patient's team she smiled. "Make sure he gets plenty of recharge and energon. Damage to the spark chamber takes a long time to recover from. He'll recover faster if he stays off his pedes." Honestly they were lucky she had been there. She doubted the mech from earlier, who had left the med bay in such a mess, would have been able to do such a complicated and delicate surgery while panicking over his team mate.

Reaching for the tools to clean them she saw something in her peripheral vision. She wasn't fast enough to duck out of the way as a hand latched onto her neck and squeezed. The mech with the visor that she'd shut down earlier snarled in her face as he pressed her against the table, scattering the tools onto the floor with a loud clatter. "Never tell me what to do in my engineering bay again." The digits of his hand curled inward, blocking the lines and kinking her neck cables. "Lord Megatron might have put you here, but you answer to **me**!" Squeezing once more to accent his point he finally let go before stalking over to the other mechs. Coughing static she lifted herself up, using the table, and checked her neck carefully. Other than a little bit of strain and some wires that needed to be shifted back into place she was fine. Standing she kept her optics on the group as they used a stretcher and left with their fellow. She would have liked to keep an optic on him just in case, but she wasn't going to stop them.

Dropping into a chair after they were gone from sight she put her face in her hands and tried to calm her spark. She would be no good to anyone if she stalled or, Primus forbid, crashed from the stress. She had to be strong. Both for Melody and herself. By the time she had calmed herself down the door was opening once again and a highly annoyed seeker sauntered inside. "Hook, I can't move my arm. It just suddenly went dead." Hoping to stall any hostility she put on her professional smile and walked right up to the blue mech, reaching for the limp appendage. "Can you tell me what you were doing before the injury?" She inquired politely.

The seeker's optics looked her up and down as he warily pulled away from her, taking a step back. With a small vented sigh she stood taller and gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look. "I'm the surgeon your Lord conscripted. I assure you that I am a proper medical professional and will do nothing to harm you." Again she reached for his arm and this time was allowed to look it over. Testing a few of the cables she frowned when she saw there was no physical reaction. "Come sit down. I'll take a look to see if it might be loose screws or malfunctioning hydraulics." Leading the mech inside she realized that his surprise might have less to do with her and more to do with the clean medical bay. Motioning to an examination table she stood by while the mech hesitated before sitting down.

Siren looked at him expectantly and the mech frowned minutely. "I was sparring with my trine mates when I blocked a heavy blow from above. After that it just wouldn't move." His tone was quiet. Not quite polite, but definitely not the rough or hostile responses she'd received from other decepticons so far.

"Hmm. Let me take a closer look." Stepping close to him she lifted the arm again. Before she began working she held up the tool in her hand. "May I?" The mech looked mildly startled by her question but nodded his consent. Moving the arm in a few set patterns she reached in between the seams with her other hand and felt around to see what the trouble might be. Once she reached the shoulder she felt something slick against her fingers and pulled her hand back to examine the substance on them. "It looks like you have a leak in one of the hydraulics lines." Taking apart his shoulder armor, with quick, deft, movements she found the problem right away. It was no trouble at all to patch the hydraulic line.

As close as she was to the seeker she frowned when she noticed more extensive damage that looked to have been there for quite some time. Determined not to have him return to the medbay because his arm was still giving him trouble she decided to fix as much as she could right then.

Finally stepping away from him, after setting the joint to rights, she began to frown.

The seeker raised his arm and made a fist. He moved his shoulder and the arm around for a moment before looking at the medic in surprise. "You also had some loose screws and a few twisted wires. I fixed those as well." The mech nodded. "It's better than before." Whether he meant before the accident or not she didn't know. He was kind of hard to read. Not quite the 'strong silent type' but more like he was warily judging her.

"Do you mind if I ask an unprofessional question?" His expression turned to one of suspicion but he gave her a curt nod. She let out the breathe she had been holding.

"There was a team of five mechs in here earlier. Primarily green and purple. One of them came in with heavy damage to the chest." The mech continued to listen quietly, waiting for her to actually ask her question. "One of them said that this was his engineering bay?" She was trying to inquire about the haughty and violent mech subtly but knew she was making a botch of it. Melody was the one with the social skills. She could talk to just about anyone and make them comfortable enough to relax around her. Siren was just the one who put others back together. Usually they were offline while she did this so she never really had to speak with her patients all that much.

"The Constructicons." Relief swept through her. He seemed to have understood the question and was answering it. "Hook is who we normally go to for repairs." Giving the mech a smile she fiddled with the tools on the tray, needing to do something with her hands. "Thank you, I will try to remember that… I hope his team mate gets the rest he needs." She said offhandedly as she began to tidy up.

"Is there anything else you need? Don't hesitate to tell me if you are having any problems. I don't like sending half fixed cybertronians out of my medbay." An oppressive silence permeated the air and she wondered if she'd somehow offended him. Just as she was about to apologize the mech finally began to speak, listing all of the issues he'd been having lately. Happily she picked up her tools again. "Why don't we get to work?"

By the time she was finished fixing all the small things that had gone askew over the course of the war she wondered just how the Seeker had kept functioning through the pain. If that was any indication to the state of the rest of the troops Siren was in for a slog. Had time and a constant stream of battle numbed their senses? Or was it some badge of honor for them, to pretend they were perfectly fine through it all? She probably would never come to understand it.

"How do you feel now?" Standing up he walked around the room, flexing different joints as he did so. Siren scrutinized his every movement. He may have been a decepticon, and she was a prisoner, but she found herself comfortable in the mech's presence. So far he had been the most pleasant person she'd met. Hopefully there were a few more like that within Megatron's ranks. If they were not polite then at the very least she would settle for not violent.

"Better." Looking back at the tools she hid her face so he didn't see the small smile that crossed it. She hadn't really expected a thank you, he was a decepticon after all.

"Good. If something acts up again please feel free to come back. Your leader was… adamant that I work to the best of my abilities." Giving her a curt nod he took another moment to contemplater her silently before turning on his heel and leaving the medbay. 'Strange mech.' She thought her herself.

It didn't take long after that for word to spread about her medical abilities. A string of mechs, finally realizing that there was a true medic on board now, decided to show up and demand she fix them. Half of them scoffed at her, making rude remarks about her being so weak. While the other half eyed her frame in ways that made her face want to burn with anger and shame. They pushed and shoved each other, calling out insults or threats. It was all very chaotic.

Finally having enough she stormed over to the group with all the authority awarded her by sheer self confidence and the knowledge that their leader himself would assure her safety, if only because she was useful. "Alright, enough!" Red optics turned to her in surprise, either because she had the audacity to yell at them or the courage to do it. "Form a queue outside and wait until you are called." A couple of the more aggressive mechs snarled at her and tried to use their size to intimidate her. But Siren was prepared for this. It was why her mech creator had forced her to train in self defense. With a flick of her wrist a large scalpel, designed to cut through cybertronian anatomy like butter, appeared in her hand. Pointing it at the center of the closest mech's chest, right about where the spark chamber would be, she fixed them all with a level stare. She had not been cowed by Megatron; what made them think she would be cowed by mere rank and file soldiers?

"Form a Primus cursed queue outside, that means a line by the way, or so help me I will carve one of you up to prove a point!" When none of them moved she shoved the scalpel at the nearest mech's face. Yelping he staggered back, taking a few other with him. "If you have time to quarrel or complain then you obviously aren't damaged enough to need medical attention." If she'd been a smaller femme they may have just overpowered her. She was lucky that she was considered a bit on the large side. Though most of that was due to her choice of durable yet compact armor. It didn't matter that they were head and shoulders taller than her. She knew how to ground herself and throw her weight around.

In the end she got her way. Funny what refusing service and shoving a sharp object in someone's face could do. Getting to work she scanned each patient, creating a new dossier for them and documenting the damage as well as what repairs had been made while she worked. It would be important information for later. Since there was no time to work on each individually without rest she decided to fix only the most dire of problems and create a roster of appointments later. Although she would probably have to get it approved by whoever was in charge of assigning shifts.

After the last mech left she practically collapsed into a nearby chair. The stress and anxiety of working in the medical bay was only compounded due to it being in a hostile environment. One mistake could cost her not only her own life but that of her sister. It left her feeling frazzled and exhausted. In the flood of mechs she didn't even remember if she'd stopped for energon at any point. She was certain she hadn't had any before they'd escaped the Valixar.

That thought made her sink further into her chair. What had become of everyone else? Had they also been captured by the Decepticons?

"Hey!" Jumping she looked over at the guard. He waved her over with his gun. Frightened she quickly stood and walked over to him, worried that she had done something wrong. "You've been working for seven planetary rotations. Shift's over." Roughly he handed her a cube of energon and motioned with his gun for her to start walking. Drinking the energon slowly as she walked she felt some of her strength returning. Sub-spacing half the energon she wondered if anyone had given her sister any. It worried her. Although Megatron had promised her safety Siren couldn't trust his soldiers to take care of her sister properly. Melody was a bit on the delicate side after all.

"Down here." As they walked she tried to memorize the path from the medbay to wherever they were keeping her sister. If she wanted to plan an escape she would have to know her way around. As crazy as that thought was. The deeper they went into the base the colder and more damp it became. Stopping her at a heavy door the guard punched in a code and the door unlocked, opening to reveal large empty cells. 'It's a prison.' She thought with disgust. Not very far inside she was stopped in front of a cell. Inside sat melody, looking gloomy but unhurt. Rising gracefully from the metal slab bolted to the wall she took a couple steps forward but stopped when the guard barked at her. "You stay there."

Opening the cell he pushed Siren inside, nearly making her trip, before he reactivated the shield. The moment the guard was out of sight Melody launched herself forward, pressing against Siren's side and hugging her as if she would never let go. Returning the hug just as hard she smiled as all the fear and worry she'd felt began to melt away.

"Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they?" Shaking her head Melody finally let go and sat down, patting the makeshift bunk. Sitting next to her sister she sighed as the exhaustion finally hit her all at once. "We're going to be fine. They might be big nasty brutes but they haven't hurt me." Tugging her arm Melody pulled her down so she could rest her head on her lap. Humming a tune their femme creator-caretaker used to sing to them as sparklings she began to gently stroke Siren's head. It wasn't long until her optics closed and she fell into recharge. They had survived the first shift. Now all she had to do was keep it up until they could find a way to escape.


End file.
